MEALS FOR CHILDREN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20725, 19 November 1930, Page 11

MEALS FOR CHILDREN.

THE MILLERTON SCHOOL. PROVISION OF ASSISTANCE. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] NELSON, Tuesday. At the meeting of the Nelson Education Board last month a discussion ensued arising from a letter asking that free meals should bo provided for the children at the Millerton School on account of the unemployment in the township. The chairman, lion. W. H. Mclntyre, then stated that on the information ho had obtained from the chairman of the school comniitteo and the headmaster of tho school the position was. not as bad as had been stated.

At this month's meeting of tlie board Mr. Trevena asked the cliairman what was the position. lie had been surprised to see in the press that an application had been made to the Minister to supply free meals to the children. The chairman replied that since tho last meeting, in company with the secretary, lie had paid a surprise visit to the school. His remarks at the last meeting were based on his personal knowledge of the township for 27 years and the information supplied to him by the chairman of the committee and the headmaster. The secretary obtained some of the lunches brought by the children, which satisfied the speaker that some of the children were getting insufficient food and 'that was why the Minister had been com municated with. The position between the last board meeting and the time of the surprise visit had altered somewhat, as the storekeepers had closed down on giving credit. Mr. Harkness, Mayor of West port, said he had been so impressed with what the chairman and the secretary had reported that he opened a subscription list in Westport. The subscriptions were somewhat crippled by the fact that letters were published in the newspapers stating that the position had been misrepresented. However, £lO had been sent to the committee at Millerton and £1 worth of stores had been sent to 10 families, Mr. Trevena said he was very pleased to see that steps were being taken to meet the position and he hoped it would bo followed up because the board should see that no children under its jurisdiction were going to school improperly fed. He was pleased the chairman had acted bo promptly in the matter.